When devastation occurs, it often uproots more than physical homes and structures, tearing apart the very fabric of a community.
For Sara Trepanier, a Navy veteran, single mother of four, and emergency room physician, this week's California wildfires reduced her home and beloved community to ashes.
On Tuesday, Trepanier and his family evacuated their home in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades on Swarthmore Avenue.
California fires and mental health damage: Celebrities and therapists give advice
A mother and her 14-year-old daughter, Remy Trepanier, wept as they spoke to Fox News Digital about losing their home and how they managed to escape amidst the chaos and destruction. (See the video at the top of this article.)
“When I turned the corner on the main street on the cliff, I decided to walk my dog a block away,” Sarah Trepanier said. “I saw a little smoke on the hill to our left, not on our hill.”
Sarah Trepanier (second from right), a veteran ER doctor and mother of four, lost her home and entire community to the California wildfires this week. (Sarah Trepanier)
“As we watched it, it quickly moved over the hill. Within 10 minutes, we could see these huge flames,” she said.
“This is miles away. It's not on our immediate hilltop. So as an ER doctor, I'm usually very calm, but I'm like, 'Things are moving so fast, they really are. 'I knew I was over the hill,' she said.
“It was very windy, so that's what caused it.” [occur at] It’s a crazy pace,” she said.
California wildfires: Essential phone numbers for Los Angeles area residents and how to help them
“So we ended up trying to evacuate. Finally, when our neighbors started evacuating, we rushed out of the house,” the mother said.
Trepanier, who is from North Carolina, said he is used to dealing with hurricanes and consulted his neighbors as he departed with mutual knowledge that the area was being evacuated in stages.
Live updates: Los Angeles County wildfires leave a trail of destruction
”The only thing we're hearing is that there have been no deaths in the Palisades, which shows the community knows how to do it. They know that out of respect they should let their immediate family go,” she said. . ”
Trepagnier said the fire was moving so quickly due to strong winds that no one expected it to destroy the town. She took this photo. (Sarah Trepanier)
She went on to say, “Our neighbor had lived there all his life. I could see it coming towards the town,” he added.
Daughter Remy said each family member took only one suitcase with clothes, the dog and dog food.
Here's where first responders can get free food in California
“We just went up the street and it was like a dead zone. There was no one around and there was a lot of ash, so we ended up going through Santa Monica to Venice and on our way to the hotel. “I decided to find her,” her mother said.
“I’m just watching the video of my high school burning down.”
Her daughter said she was heartbroken when she heard the fire had spread to their area.
Click here to sign up for our lifestyle newsletter
“Just watching the video of the high school burning down, and then [the homes of] All my friends from high school across the street were on fire,'' the teen said.
“I received all these texts [from] All my friends. They are losing their homes one by one. ”
Sarah Trepanier lost her home on Swarthmore Avenue in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades. She took this photo above. (Sarah Trepanier)
Only two houses on the block where the family lived survived the fire.
Sarah Trepanier is currently looking for a rental property for her family.
For more lifestyle articles, visit: foxnews.com/lifestyle
With tearful eyes, the daughter shared her admiration for her mother, reflecting on her resilience and how her mother remained calm and determined.
Trepanier, a California evacuee and mother of four, said the hardest part was losing an entire community. She is currently looking for a rental property for her family. (Sarah Trepanier)
“She doesn't value herself enough,” her daughter said, noting that her mother served four years on active duty in the Navy and then six years in the reserves.
The mother said the hardest part was coming to terms with the loss of schools, local businesses and the entire town.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
”What do you think touches me the most? [about] The house is truly a wonderful and precious community…I don't think anyone could have imagined it. [the fire] It would wipe out the entire town. ”
A friend of the family has set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe titled “Sarah's Home Completely Lost in California Fires.”
